Jeanette Chen of Jeanette’s Healthy Cooking enjoys the great taste of Mexican street corn, but finds it’s not always easy to eat or bring to a picnic.
Continue readingMexican Corn Tomato Feta Salad
Slow Cooker Red Wine Pot Roast
Jeanette Chen at Jeanette’s Healthy Living has created this great recipe for the perfect comforting meal on a chilly winter day.
Continue readingGluten-Free Dairy-Free Herbed Thanksgiving Stuffing
For a lot of people making gluten-free stuffing seems counter to your idea of the perfect thanksgiving side dish because it requires breadcrumbs. This recipe is going to change your thinking! Jeanette Chen from Jeanette’s Healthy Living shares this delightful light and delicious alternative. This stuffing recipe is dairy-free too, as you use olive oil in place of butter. If (and this is a big if) you have any left over, it can be made into Stuffing Muffins
Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Herbed Thanksgiving Stuffing
Ingredients
For the corn bread:
1 cup almond milk or other non-dairy milk
¾ cup medium-grind yellow cornmeal
¾ cup corn flour
¼ cup sweet rice flour
1 tablespoon organic sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
For the stuffing dish:
1 recipe Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Cornbread (~ 6 cups), broken into bite size pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped leeks or onion
10 ounces mushrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup vegetable broth
Directions
For the corn bread
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together milk, eggs and oil. In a medium bowl, stir together cornmeal, corn flour, sweet rice flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Pour into lightly greased 9 inch square pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
For the stuffing dish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet. Sauté celery, leeks, mushrooms, sage and thyme until vegetables are just soft, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with cornbread pieces. Add broth and toss gently. Transfer to a casserole dish and bake, covered, about 25-30 minutes until heated through.
Slow Cooker Chicken Vegetable Stew
As the weather turns cooler, cozy meals like this Slow Cooker Smoky Chicken Vegetable Stew shared by Jeanette Chen of Jeanette’s Healthy Living. Root vegetables are wonderful for slow cooked stews. Here, Jeanette has used simply potatoes and carrots, but you can add butternut squash/winter squash, sweet potatoes/yams, turnips, rutabaga or parsnips if you like. Mushrooms and tomatoes would also be nice, adding extra umami flavors. This version of Chicken Vegetable Stew uses a classic combination of thyme, sage and rosemary, but feel free choose your favorite spice and herb blends.
Slow Cooker Chicken Vegetable Stew
Ingredients
1 pound boneless chicken breast or thighs
½ teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 10-ounce package mushrooms, finely chopped (I used the food processor)
salt and pepper, to taste
3 potatoes, cut up
1 fresh thyme sprig
3 fresh sage leaves
1 small fresh rosemary sprig
1½ cups Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce or Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
Directions:
Season chicken with paprika, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet. Place chicken in pan and brown on both sides. Remove to slow cooker. Add onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms to pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Saute until vegetables are fragrant and any liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Scoop into slow cooker. Add potatoes, herbs, Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce, and chicken broth to slow cooker and toss everything gently. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
Salad Shakers and Jeanette’s Favorite Dressing
Someone mentioned the other day that our new salad shakers are great when everyone one wants salad, just not the same salad. Now for the salad dressing – Jeanette Chen from Jeanette’s Healthy Living shared this delicious recipe that has a great antioxidant boost the whole family can agree on! Fats can be the issue with every dressing so picking the right fats will make all the difference. This dressing contains healthy fats such as omega 3’s from extra virgin olive oil and seeds (grapeseed oil, flaxseed) and the highest ranking antioxidant rich herb – oregano. Try to use oils labeled cold-pressed or expeller-pressed – these oils are pressed at lower temperatures and retain their flavor and nutritional value.
Jeanette’s Favorite Dressing
Ingredients
¼ cup raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon ground flax seed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup grape seed oil
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Place vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, flax seed, mustard, and oregano in blender; blend until combined; slowly drizzle in olive oil and grape seed oil and blend until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Click here for this recipe and more from Jeanette’s Healthy Living blog
Grilled Brazilian Rub Salmon
Just in time for Labor Day we have a kid-friendly rub from Jeanette Chen at Jeanette’s Healthy Living to add some spice to your grilling. First, the salmon is marinated briefly in fresh orange and lemon juice and seasoned with salt and pepper. Jeanette mentioned you can use lime juice which worked well too. Next, the Brazilian rub is mixed together and spread on top of the salmon. The rub consists of fresh garlic, Spanish smoked paprika, paprika, and chili powder. The original recipe didn’t call for Spanish smoked paprika, but adding it can give it extra smoky flavor. Now onto the cedar planks. They are a great way to add extra smokiness to this salmon recipe. It makes a dramatic presentation too. Cedar planks need to be soaked for at least 30 minutes, if not longer. Otherwise, they might catch on fire. Drizzle some oil on the cedar plank, place the salmon on top and drizzle a little bit of extra virgin olive oil on top. If you don’t have a cedar plank (cedar planks are available at Walter Stewart’s), Jeanette suggests grilling the salmon on top of an oiled piece of foil. This will keep the fish from sticking to the grill. Enjoy!
Grilled Brazilian Rub Salmon
Ingredients
28 ounces salmon, cut into 6 portions
juice of 1 orange
juice of 1 lemon
sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons organic brown sugar
1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Place fish in pie dish. Sprinkle with orange and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper; let sit for 15-20 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, smoked paprika, paprika, chili powder, garlic and olive oil. Spread evenly on top of salmon.
Place salmon pieces on an oiled foil-lined baking sheet. Grill until cooked through.
Click here to check out this recipe and more at Jeanette’s Healthy Living
Skinny Berry Cheesecake Trifle
This is the ultimate dessert to bring to the cookout this year! Jeanette Chen from Jeanette’s Healthy Living shares this light version to this recipe. Each serving is about 40% lower in calories and has 75% less fat than a version made with full fat cream cheese, full fat sour cream, and butter pound cake. Thought it may be light on calories its a real fresh and delicious party pleaser. The recipe serves 16.
Skinny Berry Cheesecake Trifle
Ingredients
2 cups non-fat or low-fat cottage cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup non-fat or low-fat sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar
1 Angel Food cake, cut into 1″ cubes
1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced
1 quart fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons amaretto
fresh raspberries, for garnish
Directions
Place cottage cheese in food processor and process until smooth. Add powdered sugar, sour cream, vanilla and almond extracts and process until mixed well. Beat whipping cream until light peaks form. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon sugar. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into cottage cheese mixture. Add cake cubes and gently fold together until cake pieces are coated with cottage cheese mixture. Mix strawberries, raspberries, 2 tablespoons sugar and amaretto together. Place a layer of strawberries and raspberries in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Top with a layer of cake mixture. Add another layer of berries, then another layer of cake mixture. End with a layer of berries. Garnish with additional fresh berries.
Tomato Corn Potato Sausage Pesto Frittata
This Frittata is a colorful Mother’s Day Brunch option to consider. Jeanette Chen from Jeanette’s Healthy Living shares this healthy alternative to follow. This hearty option takes advantage of a lot of the fresh produce is and the addition of the Kale Mint Basil Pesto is quite a colorful entrée.
Tomato Corn Potato Sausage Pesto Frittata
Ingredients
1 tablespoon Garlic Scape Paste (or substitute 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 cloves minced garlic)
1 large Yukon gold potato, peeled, sliced thin
1 small onion, chopped
6 nitrate-free chicken breakfast sausage links, cut up
1 cup cooked corn
salt and pepper
8 eggs
1 tomato, chopped
⅓ cup shredded pepper jack cheese or cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons Kale Mint Basil Pesto
Ingredients for the Kale Mint Basil Pesto
1 bunch lacinato kale
1 bunch basil
1 bunch mint
6 garlic cloves
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Directions
Heat Garlic Scape Pesto in a large non-stick skillet. Place potato, onion and sausage in pan, add ½ cup water and cover; cook until potatoes are tender. Add corn and heat through; season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs; add tomato and pepper jack cheese. Pour into skillet.
For the Kale Mint Basil
Blanch kale in boiling water for 20 seconds; drain and put in a bowl of cold water to stop cooking; once cool, squeeze dry and roughly chop. Place blanched kale, basil leaves, mint leaves, garlic cloves and pine nuts in food processor bowl; process until finely chopped; add oil through feeding tube until pesto is blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Once done, add dollops of Kale Mint Basil Pesto on top. Using a spatula, lift up sides of frittata and tilt skillet to let uncooked eggs slide underneath frittata. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and put skillet under broiler for 2 minutes until top is cooked.
Here are links to both recipes to enjoy:
Oven Roasted Vegetables with Sage and Thyme
This is a great side recipe for the holidays incorporating a lot of root and winter vegetables you have on hand. Jeanette Chen from Jeanette’s Healthy Living loves roasting vegetables as it sweetens them, so the maple syrup is strictly optional. You can drizzle some syrup on to make them more kid-friendly. Some balsamic vinegar would also be nice with these roasted vegetables. This recipe takes a total of 40 minutes for prep and cooking and will serve 8-10.
Oven Roasted Vegetables with Sage and Thyme
Ingredients
7 cups of assorted root vegetables, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, celeriac, beets, and parsnips
2 cups of winter squash, such as acorn squash, butternut squash, or pumpkin
1 onion, sliced
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 sage leaves, chopped
4 thyme sprigs
salt and pepper, to taste
maple syrup, to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut up all the root vegetables and squash into approximately equal size pieces. I cut them into roughly ½” pieces (except the beets which I sliced thinner since they seem to take longer to get tender). Put root vegetables, squash and onion in a large bowl. Add olive oil, sage, and thyme to the bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat all the vegetables.
Spread vegetables on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake 30-40 minutes until tender. Drizzle with maple syrup, to taste.
Slow Cooker Red Wine Beef Shank Stew
We’ve all begun to crave comfort food as the weather has turned cooler. Stews, chili and soups are some of the meals Jeanette of Jeanette’s Healthy Living makes more of with the change of seasons. The good news is that it’s easy to use less expensive cuts of meat that are tougher in these meals because they benefit from low, slow cooking. Another benefit is this recipe makes a lot (serves 4-6 and doubles well) and leftovers can be frozen and turned into a Mashed Cauliflower Potato Crusted Beef Casserole (To make this Mashed Cauliflower Potato Crusted Beef Casserole, simply chop the leftover beef stew into bite size pieces, top with mashed cauliflower potatoes and sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese. Bake the whole thing at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes until stew is hot and topping is browned.), or Beef Vegetable Soup (just add some broth, cooked whole grains or pasta, and chopped leafy green vegetables).
Slow Cooker Red Wine Beef Shank Stew
Ingredients
2 beef shank pieces (about 2.5 to 3 pounds)
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion (about2 cups), chopped
4 carrots (about 2 cups), chopped
3 celery stalks (about 2 cups), chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons umami paste or tomato paste
2 cups red wine
2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence (or substitute a mixture of thyme, oregano, rosemary)
3 cups chopped tomatoes (30 ounces)
sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Directions
Season beef shank pieces with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat oil in a large pot and brown beef shank pieces on both sides. Transfer to slow cooker. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic to pot and sauté until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Add umami paste and sauté another minute. Add red wine, Herbs de Provence and tomatoes; stir to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of the pot.
Transfer everything to slow cooker; cover and cook on high for 6 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
NOTES
For extra umami flavor, add some porcini mushrooms, season with soy sauce instead of salt and serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.